Ghana vs Uruguay: Redemption awaits Ghana in a Group H showdown against Luis Suarez and Uruguay, 12 years after he denied them the chance to become the only African team to reach a World Cup semi-final.
On Friday, December 2, the match will be contested at Al-Janoub Stadium in Al-Wakrah.
The game will be officiated by Daniel Siebert. It will be the German’s second game of the tournament, following Australia’s close Group D victory over Tunisia.
What time is Ghana vs Uruguay?
The match kicks off at 6:00 pm local time which means it will start at 3:00 pm in the UK or Ghana and the coverage will be shown on the BBC, GTV Sports+, and many other local channels.
The match will be broadcast on FS1 and Universo in the United States, with kickoff at 10 a.m. EST and 7 a.m. PT.
Ghana is in the same time zone as the United Kingdom, so fans hoping to see them in their own country will have to tune in at 3:00 pm, while Uruguay will start off at 12:00 pm.
Team News
Ghana has dominated their first two games of the competition although losing to Portugal in the first game and has been quite good in a difficult group. Mohammed Kudus delivered a match-winning performance against South Korea, therefore Otto Addo’s lineup will once again be structured around the Ajax star.
He still has a number of major decisions to make. Do both Ayew brothers keep their positions? Does Baba Rahman return to the starting lineup at left-back? Given the outcome of the previous match, it appears reasonable to anticipate an unchanged starting XI for this one.
Uruguay has been equally fortunate in terms of injuries, but that doesn’t make Diego Alonso’s job any easier. His team has struggled in their first two games, with both Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani failing to impress while leading the line.
Suarez was the guy put in front of the world’s media before this one, so expect him to start with Darwin Nunez. Ronald Araujo, a significant question mark heading into the World Cup, is unlikely to be available here.
Ghana vs Uruguay: Predicted line-ups
Ghana (4-2-3-1): Ati-Zigi, Lamptey, Amartey, Salisu, Baba; Partey, Abdul Samed; (Jordan) Ayew, Kudus, (Andre) Ayew; Williams.
Uruguay (4-3-3): Rochet, Caceres, Godin, Gimenez, Olivera; Vecino, Bentancur, Valverde; Pellistri, Suarez, Nunez.
Players carrying yellow cards
Ghana: Mohammed Kudus, Andre Ayew, Alidu Seidu, Inaki Williams, Daniel Amartey, Tariq Lamptey.
Uruguay: Martin Caceres, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mathias Olivera.
What’s at stake?
A place in the last 16: A win will almost certainly send Ghana into the knockout stages, while a draw will suffice if South Korea fails to overcome Portugal.
Uruguay will also be praying that South Korea does not win, as their advancement prospects are dependent on Portugal’s performance in the other game. They can qualify with a victory if South Korea also wins, but they must overcome the goal difference disadvantage.
Prediction
Uruguay to beat Ghana.
Ghana to win: 18%. Uruguay to win: 58%. Draw: 24%.
The story so far
Ghana has put itself in a strong position to reach the last 16. They were unlucky not to win their first match against Portugal, especially after Inaki Williams slipped after stealing the ball from Diogo Costa.
They were able to pick themselves up and bounce back in one of the tournament’s early games. Kudus stole the show last time out, scoring twice in a 3-2 triumph over South Korea.
Meanwhile, Uruguay’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages are hanging by a thread after gaining only a point in their two lackluster games thus far. Their first game, against South Korea, was one of the dullest of the World Cup, with neither team looking really interested in scoring throughout the course of the 90 minutes.
It was a story of squandered opportunities against Portugal, as an early mistake by Rodrigo Bentancur was punished by two goals from Bruno Fernandes, the first of which was initially given to Cristiano Ronaldo.